Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah has sought guidance of the Parliament on a date for holding next general elections in a free and fair manner.
Speaking on a motion in the Joint Sitting of the Parliament this evening, he said the country cannot come out of the current economic and political crisis without ensuring free and fair elections.
He opined that elections of the national and all provincial assemblies should be held simultaneously under a caretaker setup as per spirit of the Constitution to ensure transparency and level playing field to all political parties.
The Interior Minister said we know that elections should be held within 90 days of the dissolution of assemblies but the polling date for Punjab Assembly announced by the President is April 30, which is also beyond the limit of 90 days.
He further said elections in 1988 and 2008 had been delayed for around six months due to various reasons.
Rana Sanaullah said it should also be kept in view that the Constitution calls for holding general elections under a caretaker setup.
The Interior Minister also sought Parliament’s guidance to empower the law enforcement agencies to deal with the armed protesters and gangs of political parties to maintain order.
Expressing solidarity with the people affected by yesterday’s earthquake, he said Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also very concerned over the losses and the government will devise a strategy to compensate the affected citizens.
Meanwhile, the Joint sitting of the Parliament has now been adjourned to meet again on Monday at 3pm.
